


Currents

by michmak



Series: The Little Things [28]
Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-14
Updated: 2012-09-14
Packaged: 2017-11-14 05:48:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/511979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/michmak/pseuds/michmak
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>"Crazy-girl,"</i> he whispers.<i> "So beautiful."</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Currents

It was two days before Pichonet decided that an attempt could be made to retrieve the mule and the ship. "Still a Dust Bowl, mind, but softer. The winds ain't so bad and the sand is low. I'm thinkin' we can go git your ship into the dockin' caves and mayhap even find the mule."

They were sittin' around the table at Ma Cobb's, finishin' off a breakfast of powdered egg protein and somethin' Ma called fakon – bacon-flavoured protein loaf molded inta strips and fried.

Jayne and Mal had both looked up and grinned at that. Mal had been ready to leave from the minute they'd landed. He hated bein' grounded – had what his Ma called 'itchy feet' – and even though he'd been unfailin'ly polite and had helped Jayne spruce up the house some, it was easy to see he wanted to go.

Jayne wanted to leave as well, for two reasons. Despite the fact he'd been born here, Propsero wasn't his home anymore. He din't belong and twenty-years away hadn't changed that fact. He still felt like a big, overgrown circus freak when he went to town. People still stared at him or whispered about him and even though the whispers weren't malicious, like they'd been when he was a kid, they still made him uncomfortable.

The second reason he wanted to leave was because he wanted his own bunk back so's River would be sleepin' with him again. Two nights in a sleepin' bag and almost no time alone with her had made him tetchy. His palms itched to touch her; he ached to bury his face in her hair; couldn't wait to kiss her senseless. And even though she still weren't fully there all the time, he was startin' to rethink his position on the whole waitin' to sex her up idea.

She did have wonderfully lucid moments, where she weren't tryin' to distance herself from what was goin' on around her. He had started noticin' a pattern to the way she spoke. When she was tired, or when there were too many people around or she was speakin' with someone new, she never said 'I' or 'me' or any 'a that proper English his Ma had tried to drill inta his head when he was younger. Din't say it when she was excited neither.

Jayne was wonderin' if some of the way she talked was even intentional – mayhap, she spoke the way she did outta habit. He weren't sure, 'a course. But he was gonna test it; discuss it with her and get her perspective on the whole thing. He din't think she already knew why he was waitin' the way he was on accounta she never pulled any 'a the reader stuff on him – at least, not often. That was one 'a the reasons he knew things was real between 'em, because she let him have his own thoughts and work things through hi'self without interferin'.

So yeah, when they finally got back to Serenity and he had his own berth again, he was figurin' things was gonna change some. There weren't nothin' wrong with a little experimentin' and Jayne had been dreamin' 'a her for too long. Time to make some 'a those dreams reality.

Kaylee and Simon, oddly enough, had been kept quite busy while they were here. Weren't no surprise the Doc's assistance was called on – town the size 'a Propsero always had people needed tendin', and Doc Breckin was old.

Simon fixed broken bones and even done an emergency tracheotomy the other day, when one 'a the younger Sawyer boys got hit in the windpipe while they'd been playin' rock ball in the Town Square. Lucky for the kid Doc had been nearby, other wise Jacky woulda been dead. He'd also told Jayne and Mal, quietly, that he was gonna need to use most 'a the medicine on Serenity to vaccinate everyone against damp lung.

"It's a rare disease – Tuberculosis. Very contagious," he'd told them. "It isn't too bad here yet because it's standard to vaccinate against it when in childhood. That's why it's mostly older folks that get it; or people with weak lungs to begin with. But Doctor Breckin told me today none of the children born here in the last ten years have been vaccinated for anything, because the Alliance never brought the medicine. Some of them already have early stages of the disease. Comes from living underground, I'd say. It's damp down here – especially in the North end, where most of the kids with TB come from. It could turn into an epidemic if it's not treated."

"We have enough medicine for this?" Mal had asked, frownin'. "'Cause I don't mind you usin' it if we do. I'd prefer not to have to go steal it from somewhere though, 'cause I don't fancy comin' back once we're gone."

"I think we've got enough," Simon replied. "And Breckin still has a lot of medical credits he hasn't been able to use. I told him I'd get whatever he needed when we left and get it out to him on the next cargo ship coming this way."

"Shiny then," Mal said.

"You'll be able to fix up Matty?" Jayne grunted, "Or is it too late?"

"He'll be fine once he gets the medicines he needs," Doc assured him. "He just needs to be careful in future. His lungs will have some scarring from it."

Jayne decided then and there he was glad they'd come, especially if it meant Simon could fix his brother.

Kaylee had been called upon because she was a gorram mechanical genius – old cargo ships weren't the only things she could fix. Pichonet had hooked her up with Dash Thomas, the only mechanic in town and Jayne knowed she'd shown ol' Dash a thing or two. Even without them supplies stuck on the mule, the two 'a them managed to get several 'a Prospero's mules flyin' again. She'd even fixed the Cortex computer mainframe at the General Store, which meant his Ma would be able to WAVE him once in a while after they left, instead 'a sendin' him letters all the time.

"That girl 'a the Doc's is sure good at tinkerin'," Thomas had said to him when Jayne'd run inta him yesterday droppin' off the hot lunch his Ma had made for Kaylee. "Never seen a body could cross wires and circumvent switches so easy. Wish we could keep her."

Jayne had smirked at that, "Won't happen, Dash. Girl was born to fly. You should see her on Serenity; swear to God that ship talks to her. 'Sides, she's just startin' to loosen Simon up some. If'n she stayed here, Doc might find that pole and shove it up his ass again. Just don't bear thinkin' about."

Thomas had laughed at that, slappin' his knee with his hat. "Well, don't mind me then, when I say I hope the storm don't break 'til she's fixed everythin' that needs fixin' around here."

But the storm had broken; broken enough that they were goin' to go get the mule and the ship. Several 'a the town folk had offered to help and Pichonet had quickly chosen the thirty strongest men and broken them into two separate groups. The smallest group of ten men along with Zoë, the Doc and River were goin' to go fetch Serenity. The larger group – twenty men plus Mal, Kaylee and Jayne – was goin' after the mule.

"I grabbed the transmittin' device before we left the ship," Kaylee grinned at them as they headed out on a few of the recently repaired town mules. "Once we're topside, I can activate it. We'll be able to find ol'Bessie in no time."

"Just hope it ain't buried too deep," one 'a the men had replied. "Can get dangerous diggin' stuff outta the dunes; especially big things. Makes a big hole when it's pulled out and the sand sometimes rushes under it too quickly. It's almost like gettin' caught in a strong current – can suck a man under in no time flat."

"Which is why, little Kaylee, you ain't going near the mule until it's outta the dirt and on solid ground, dong ma?"

"Yes, Cap'n," the mechanic replied. "I already got the lecture from Simon."

"Yeah, well, he ain't the Captain," Mal responded. "You don't have to listen to him. Me, on the other hand – my word is law."

Jayne smirked at him when Kaylee rolled her eyes.

 

~~~~~

 

'A course, the mule was buried - a good five feet down on the one side, although the port thruster was stickin' up outta the ground.

"Sand shifted underneath it," Dash Thomas grinned. "Seems we caught a break, boys. Should be able to get a winch around that and pull her out."

"Easy-peasy," Mal agreed. The squawk-box in his face mask was staticy and blasted everyone's ears when he spoke.

"Gorram," Jayne winced. "Try not to talk, eh? Don't wanna go deaf." He looked around at the other men with them and grinned. They looked a site, with their faces covered behind thick goggles and gas masks coverin' their faces. The dirt was still blowin' around quite a bit, but at least ya could see the odd patch a sky now.

"I'll winch it," he offered. "But I think we're gonna need to dig some first."

He'd been correct in that assessment. The men took turns diggin' around the body of the mule, tryin' to remove the sand from the top of it to redistribute the weight. It was hard work but, with the mules they'd brought cartin' the dirt away it was goin' pretty steady. Jayne tried to ignore the small-talk buzzin' over the squawk-box in his mask. He just wanted to get done and get back.

"Always was a good worker, when ya weren't knockin' inta things Jayne," one 'a the men beside him offered.

Jayne grunted. "Remember the time ya got stuck in that shaft, half in and half out? Thought your Ma would have a fit when Smithy decided he'd need to blow ya out. Funniest gorram thing I ever saw."

The big Merc scowled, "Only funny if it weren't you they was puttin' those little fissure caps around. Thought I was gonna get my head blowed off."

"Wouldn't a hurt ya none," someone else laughed. "No brains there to damage."

Some of the other men chuckled at that, but the man beside him din't. "I think Jayne here was the smartest of the lot," he stated. "He's the only one with the brains to get off this go se planet in the first place. Don't look like leavin' hurt him none, either. Caught hi'self a pretty little girl out there in space."

"Yeah, wouldn't mind gettin' a piece 'a her myself," another voice piped up. "She's crazier than a loon but I bet she's a good fuck."

Jayne growled and dropped his shovel, lookin' around angrily. "That's my girl you're talkin' about. Keep a civil tongue in your mouth or I swear ta God I'll rip it out."

"Like to see you try," came the static response. "Ya don't even know who said it. Gonna hurt all of us?"

"Don't tempt me," the big Merc responded. "'Sides, I'd recognize your girly-voice anywhere, Frankie. Would 'a thought you'd 'a hit puberty at some point in the last twenty-years, but I reckon I was wrong. You even able to grow a beard yet?"

More laughter this time, aimed at Frankie. Jayne grinned and picked up his shovel. "Me and you are gonna have a little chat when we're finished here about what's respectable and what ain't."

 

~~~~~

 

"Jayne…Jayne?" Mal's voice rings in his ears, the feedback makin' him wince. "Hold on, Jayne. We're comin' for you."

"Too…dangerous," Jayne manages to squeeze out. "Kaylee?"

"She's fine, Jayne. You threw her far enough we managed to grab her. She's just scared for you, is all."

"It's my fault!" Kaylee interrupts, wailin' in his head. "Should 'a never jumped on the mule like that. I thought she was out."

"S'kay, little Kaylee," Jayne gasps. "Don't cry."

"Jayne, we're goin' to winch it again and try to lift it. Think you can crawl out if'n we do?" Mal's voice is firm, demandin' an answer.

"Heavy," Jayne pants. "Crushin' me. Don't know."

"Try, okay? We're lifting it now."

The heavy weight on his chest shifts and he takes a large gulp of air. Sand slides around him like water. Jayne feels like he's floatin'.

"Jayne? Jayne? Gorramit, Jayne, move!"

The big Merc isn't sure if he replies. Mal is screamin' in his ear but Jayne ain't listenin' no more anyway. His head is full 'a colors and River is in the middle 'a them. He drifts towards her on currents of sand.

 _"Crazy-girl,"_ he whispers. _"So beautiful."_

"I'm going under and getting him," the Captain's voice is a million miles away. "Tie that extra winch round my waist and be ready to pull on my mark."

"Ain't safe, Reynolds," Thomas' voice now, swimmin' past his ears. "Could end up losin' you too."

"Ain't losin' no one here today, dong ma? Just be ready."

 _"Sorry I waited too long,"_ Jayne murmurs. _"Should 'a shown ya when I had the chance. Thought you weren't ready."_

The weight on his chest shifts again. Jayne grunts.

_"Always love ya, little butterfly. Always."_

He's almost there now. The colors are blendin' into white, blindin' him to everythin' but the image 'a his girl. _"Should 'a had ya naked a long time ago."_

Someone is grabbin' his arms and he's too weak to struggle against him. Sand is slidin' around them, suckin' hungrily.

"Pull! NOW!" Mal shouts.

 _"River,"_ Jayne whispers. _"Take care of River."_

His body is screamin' in agony now as the Captain holds him. He wants to swim in the white, but the pain is shootin' lines of red-hot wires across his vision and he can't see his girl no more. He can hear men shoutin'; little Kaylee cryin' in the distance and Mal cursin' in his ears.

With a heave he's suddenly on his back, on top of the Captain who is still holdin' him tight, demandin' that he breathe. He thinks his ribs are broken but he ain't sure. When he opens his eyes all he sees is dirt. He ain't never seen nothin' more beautiful in his life.

"Still alive, Jayne?" Mal finally calms down enough to ask, pattin' Jayne's arm awkwardly from underneath him.

"Think so, Cap'n," Jayne groans. "Hurts too much to be dead."

"That's good then," Mal says. "Think you can move enough to get offa me? You're kinda heavy."

Jayne takes a deep breath and moans against the pain. "I'll try, Cap'n."

He shifts enough to free the man, before sinkin' to his back again. The Captain leans over him and Jayne just knows he's smirkin' behind the mask. "Word of advice, Jayne. When you finally get River naked, let her be on top. Think you'd crush her, otherwise."

Jayne would 'a laughed at that, if he could 'a. As it is, he ain't sure how much longer he'll manage to stay awake. "Think I'm crushed…inside…" he grits out, suddenly squeezin' the Captain's arm. "Need Simon…"

"We'll take ya to him, as soon as we can safely lift ya," Mal assures. Thomas is suddenly there with a backboard and neck brace.

"Tell my Crazy-girl…wish I could kiss her again."

"You will, Jayne. Promise ya that," Mal murmurs. His voice is far away and Jayne can't keep his eyes open. The Captain grips his arm, "You will."


End file.
